Active systems and methods for controlling aircraft vortices are disclosed. An apparatus in accordance with one embodiment is directed to an aircraft system that includes an airfoil having first and second oppositely facing flow surfaces and a tip. The system can further include a vortex dissipation device carried by the airfoil, with the vortex dissipation device including an orifice positioned to direct a flow of fluid outwardly from the tip, an actuator operatively coupled to the fluid flow orifice and positioned to change a manner in which flow is directed outwardly from the tip, and a controller operatively coupled to the actuator to direct the operation of the actuator. The vortex dissipation device can be activated to accelerate the rate at which vortices (e.g., wing tip vortices) dissipate after they are generated, for example, by alternately pulsing flow inwardly and outwardly through the fluid flow orifice.